Posts Tagged ‘goodwill’

You may have heard of the hashtag #firstworldproblems if you are a regular on social media. For example, “It took me 20 minutes to download the new Hobbit movie and now my popcorn is cold!” or “They misspelled my name on my Starbucks cup and it’s not even funny :(”

We are so blessed to live in a country and in a region that is so rich. We have great markets and farmers who work hard to produce fresh, delicious foods for us. We have the tech sector working to build up our reputation in the world as a leader in innovation and help us with devices and applications to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. We have the Universities and Colleges leading the way in academia and cooperative education. We have all of the caring people who work in the non-profit sector, for places like Extend-A-Family and House of Friendship. All of the volunteers who put in hours helping out family, friends, and charities help make this community the friendly environment it is. For some of us, our biggest problem is deciding which charity to donate to before year end tax time!

There are others who live among us who are the recipients of those volunteer hours, charitable donations, friendly smiles and goodwill. They have dignity because of programs set up to help them get back on their feet after a rough patch. They have hope because of those who lift them up instead of putting them down. They have a chance to find comfort and peace, warm meals, and opportunities to grow and learn thanks to the services offered by non-profits, by our region and our municipalities.

We all have moments of humanity and humility. Be aware of all of our neighbours and reach out in goodwill. Cooperate with those around us to make sure that our #firstworldproblems are those we can roll our eyes at, not cry our eyes out about.